1
as in twistings
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
with a forceful twist she loosened the bolt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tricks
an odd or peculiar habit
my roommate has his little twists, and I have mine, so things should balance out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in distorts
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of
my enemies will twist my words, but you'll only hear the truth out of me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in curls
to follow a circular or spiral course
the path gently twisted down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
as in pulls
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation
kept twisting the cap until it came free
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in squirms
to make jerky or restless movements
the dental patient twisted nervously in the chair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in weaves
to cause to twine about one another
has the habit of idly twisting the strands of her hair while daydreaming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of twists
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
But the tale soon takes on metafictional twists and turns as real-life Russian tanks and soldiers invade the country.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
There are scenes in the play where Ramos and Bradford operate a pair of space alien puppets, but to say more would spoil the play’s final twists.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
And with that comes needs at about every position but quarterback, some perhaps more glaring than others but all part of the Rubik’s twists and turns of their broader equation.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Last night, round 1 of the NFL draft was full of twists, turns and surprises.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit and letter are the latest twists in what’s been a dramatic month for West Suburban.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
And you’re also reminded that such things are still tainted, even if the movie twists itself into knots to circumvent such thinking, and the level of innocence required to listen to those hits is long gone.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
So because of the cervical dystonia, my, head twists to the right and is misaligned.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
In place of drums is a constant floor of undulating synth bass, which sometimes twists itself into the treble range but mostly functions as the x-axis to the percussion’s y in the vast lattice structure that supports this music.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The show’s ending twists a wedding-day nightmare into something far stranger than a simple curse story — and the rules governing who lives and who dies are easy to miss.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
As the investigation twists and intensifies, Izzy is forced to confront her own compulsions and the personal cost of her pursuit of justice.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
The law protects styles such as braids, locks, Afros and twists from discrimination.
—Jamal Goss, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
There are a few reversals of fortune on the way to Dan putting his divorce-via-murder plan into action, however, as well as a half dozen plot twists and wild tonal shifts heading your way at 120mph.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
But the tale soon takes on metafictional twists and turns as real-life Russian tanks and soldiers invade the country.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
There are scenes in the play where Ramos and Bradford operate a pair of space alien puppets, but to say more would spoil the play’s final twists.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
And with that comes needs at about every position but quarterback, some perhaps more glaring than others but all part of the Rubik’s twists and turns of their broader equation.
—Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Last night, round 1 of the NFL draft was full of twists, turns and surprises.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
Even in the harshest descriptions of the violence and almost unbelievably cruel twists of fate that Yarris endured (the DNA testing keeps getting accidentally mucked up), Brody lends him a vital indomitable spark.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit and letter are the latest twists in what’s been a dramatic month for West Suburban.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
It is made of hard plastic and twists together, but other than that, this accessory serves the same purpose as Apple’s key ring.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
And you’re also reminded that such things are still tainted, even if the movie twists itself into knots to circumvent such thinking, and the level of innocence required to listen to those hits is long gone.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2026
So because of the cervical dystonia, my, head twists to the right and is misaligned.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
In place of drums is a constant floor of undulating synth bass, which sometimes twists itself into the treble range but mostly functions as the x-axis to the percussion’s y in the vast lattice structure that supports this music.
—Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026
Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The show’s ending twists a wedding-day nightmare into something far stranger than a simple curse story — and the rules governing who lives and who dies are easy to miss.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026
As the investigation twists and intensifies, Izzy is forced to confront her own compulsions and the personal cost of her pursuit of justice.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2026
The law protects styles such as braids, locks, Afros and twists from discrimination.
—Jamal Goss, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twists
Noun
-
Davis occasionally destabilizes this very familiar soundtrack with sly production tricks from Horne.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
However, deer are adaptable creatures and often get used to the tricks put in their path, eventually ignoring attempts to deter them, Walke says.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The synthesis process consists of mixing bismuth ferrite with barium titanate to carefully engineer a strain, then growing the mixture as a thin film on a substrate that distorts its crystal structure.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But in doing that, that distorts the economics for all patients everywhere.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The fiber is made using a process that turns sugarcane into the core ingredients for stretch yarn, the world’s largest spandex manufacturer said.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
With costs dropping 80% over the last decade, storage is the missing link that turns intermittent weather into a steady, reliable heartbeat for the grid.—
Jennifer Granholm,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes a person opens the top of their skull to reach inside; in her painting Threading the Story Through the Eye of a Needle (circa 1974), a hand pulls a line of thread through a pupil, towing two tiny people in a boat, suggesting both sight and an idea made manifest.—
Nicole Rudick,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Inside, tender beef meatballs sit in a bright, zippy marinara that pulls everything into focus.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.—
Lincee Ray Published,
EW.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Lockwood takes different noises—from volcanic activity in Hawaii to spring peepers near the Mississippi River, crows around Essex, and hydroacoustic signals in the Tasman Sea—and weaves a tapestry in constant flux.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Dolan dissects his estrangement from his mother after forty years of attempts at peace, and weaves in research and reportage about child abuse and trauma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The ships represented by red shapes are tankers, while green shapes represent cargo ships and light blue ones are tugs, service or military vessels.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Researchers evaluated and recorded the same 28 characteristics for each species based on preexisting data from universities and government agencies, Nunez-Mir said.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Clean-up operations involve experts who calculate the risk of a criticality accident based on the characteristics of the material being moved, Rofer says.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Twists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twists. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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